


A Little Bit Closer

by Mystrana



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Bleachers, Cigarettes, Exy, Kissing, M/M, POV Neil Josten, Witty Banter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:20:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27393373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystrana/pseuds/Mystrana
Summary: Neil practices exy late at night; Andrew watches.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 8
Kudos: 116





	A Little Bit Closer

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [ Coop](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentCoop/pseuds/AgentCoop) for the beta, for dragging me into the fandom, and for providing the prompt of: bleachers and cigarettes
> 
> This is set about a year after the series.

Neil sucked in a breath, his heart racing as he forced himself to move faster, faster, impossibly faster. His angle was off and the ball flew past him on the rebound. Neil slowed to a jog to grab it and try again.

Cigarette smoke wafted over from the stands, and after a moment, a voice: "How much longer are you going to chase physically uncatchable rebounds before you give up?"

Neil grinned. The spotlights on the court meant he couldn't really see Andrew in the darkness of the bleachers, but he turned to the general direction, following his instinct. "When I catch one," he said, as though it was the logical answer.

Six more tries later, Neil was gasping for breath and reconsidering his earlier statement. His logic had seemed sound; if he could catch a rebound his opponents didn't expect him to, he could score more.

But there was a chance Andrew might have had the winning point.

Andrew said nothing.

Only after another half-dozen failed attempts did Neil decide to concede defeat. Tomorrow morning was going to show up too soon. He finished collecting the balls spread across the court before undoing his helmet and leaving the court. 

Neil didn’t rush, but he didn’t linger as he stripped off his protective gear and clothes before a short rinse off in the shower. His hair was still wet at the back when he gathered his bag and headed out to find Andrew.

This time, with the court lights down low, Neil tracked the red glow of Andrew's cigarette. Andrew sat in the second row of the stands, looking past Neil to some unknown location. Neil climbed to meet him, his previous exertion forgotten and replaced with a soft shade of excitement. 

And then he was sitting next to Andrew, so close that there was only an inch of space between them. A comfortable gap, one that Neil supposed he'd want to close one day. Not today.

After a minute, Andrew turned his gaze on Neil. "I'd like to kiss you."

Funny how some words could have as much an impact as a full body check. Neil nodded his yes, careful to keep his hands by his sides.

Andrew took one last, long drag on his cigarette before dropping the butt to the ground, grinding it with his foot. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to Neil's. His exhale was cigarette smoke and it filled Neil’s lungs, harsh where Andrew’s lips were soft. 

Warmth flooded through Neil’s body, exhilarating and relaxing all at once. He caught his breath, the last wisps of smoke between them, and kissed Andrew again. Andrew tilted his head towards Neil, his nose against Neil’s cheek. They kissed like time had no hold on them, like there were no responsibilities waiting for them in the early morning hours, like perhaps they were the only two people alive and the space between them danced with electricity, jumping between them. 

Andrew tilted his head again, the top of his neck exposed and open, vulnerable. Neil placed a soft kiss on the skin there, delighted when Andrew sighed happily. He did it again, a gentle brush of confirmation; they belonged together. Andrew’s hand was on Neil’s chin, guiding him back face to face. His cheeks were a faint pink, his eyes half closed, the hazel darkened to near black. Neil didn’t waste a moment, just let Andrew bring them close again, warming to the kiss like laying out at the beach, riding the heat until it was almost too much to bear and then, only then, pulling back for a moment to catch his breath. 

“We should go back to the tower,” Andrew said, the pink spots on his cheeks bright.

“We should just stay here,” Neil countered, only half serious. He kissed the tip of Andrew’s nose. “Benches are comfortable enough to sleep on. Practice starts up in six hours. Waste of time to go back and forth now.”

Andrew fixed him with a stare. “I’m not blowing you on the bleachers, Neil.”

"Tower it is," Neil said, gathering up his bag.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm new here, but I still love shouting about all things exy, Andrew, and Neil. You can find me on [tumblr](https://mystrana.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/mystrana_)!


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